It is my pleasure to be amidst you this afternoon and I welcome you to the historic Darbar Hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Scout and Guide fundamental principle of ‘doing one’s duty to God and Country, and service to fellow being”, has also been the fundamental ethos that drove the act and duties of so many historical figures, who took the oath of doing so in this historic building.

1.I am happy to be amongst you on the occasion of conferring the Shilp Guru and National Awards to outstanding master craft persons for the year 2015. At the outset, let me congratulate those who have been bestowed with these prestigious awards today. I express my deep appreciation for their outstanding contribution to the preservation and promotion of Indian handicraft traditions and enrichment of our cultural heritage. These awardees will inspire and encourage young craft persons of India to strive for excellence in their chosen fields.

1.It is a privilege for me to attend the Opening Session of the first ever "Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit”. At the start, I would like to congratulate Shri Kailash Satyarthi and the Children’s Foundation in his name for taking this timely and thoughtful initiative. An esteemed panel of laureates and leaders are attending this summit. The ideas that will generate from here, should therefore, reach a wider audience. I welcome all the distinguished delegates from abroad, particularly the laureates and leaders of Children’s Summit, to India.

Your excellency Mr. Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia,

Madame Iriana Widodo,

Distinguished members of the Indonesian delegation,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to you andMadame Iriana Widodo on your first State Visit to India.

1.I am indeed very happy to be here at the inaugural session of the ninth World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality, organized by ASSOCHAM, Srei Foundation and the Times Group.

Your Excellency, Mr. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan,

1.It is a great pleasure to receive you at the Rashtrapati Bhavan once again. I warmly recall your previous visit in September, 2012. You were the first Head of State to make a State Visit to India after I assumed office as President of India. Your visit today, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, bears testimony to the abiding friendship between our nations.

Excellency,

Your Excellency, Mr. Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambaev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic,

2. It is my privilege to receive you on your first State Visit to India. On behalf of our Government and people, I extend a warm welcome to you, Madame Raisa Atambaeva and the distinguished members of your delegation.

1.It is my pleasure to be here on the occasion of the convocation ceremony of Army College of Dental Sciences. Established in 2001, this college has done remarkably well in a short span of time. From gaining a grade ‘A’ NAAC accreditation to being ranked consistently amongst the top dental institutions in India, it has brought glory to both the Indian Army and the country.

I am indeed happy to be present amidst you on the occasion of the 17thNational Jamboree of Bharat Scouts and Guides at Mysuru, a heritage city of India and the cultural capital of Karnataka.

We must keep in mind that there is no conflict or contradiction between the promotion of regional history and the pursuit of the history of our country as a whole. Indeed, the more we know about our regions, the more we enrich the history of the whole country. My first Master’s degree is in the subject of History. Kolkata, where I studied, has been home to some of our great historians like Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Professor R. C. Majumdar, Professor N. K. Sinha, Professor D. C. Sircar, Professor B. N. Mukherjee and others.